Nonlocking doorknob latch set



April 3, 1951 R. c. CERF, JR 2,547,256

NONLOCKING DOORKNOB LATCH SET File-d Dec. 50, l948 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ROBERT C. CERF JR.

BR'W

ATTORNEY April 3, 1951 R. c. CERF, JR 2,547,256

NONLOCKING DOORKNOB LATCH SET Filed Dec. 50, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6..

lNvENToR ROBERT C, CERF JR.

MKM!

ATTORNEY Patented pr. 3, 195i UNITED STATES ,PAT ortica.

:NONLOCKING' DOOR/KNOBtLATGHTSET Robert' Cif/Cerf, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif'., assgrror toV Hollymade Hardware ManufacturingA Com-'- .panyg Los'Angeles; Calif., a corporation ofG'alifornial ApplicationDecember 30, 1948Seri`allN`o 682213v 3 Claims;

'.Il'iis invention relates to a door knob latch' set and in particular. to an improved non-locking knob operated. through door latch set..

Oneobject of theA invention is to provide an irnproved'non-locking door knob latch Set. Another Objectis to provide a door knob latch set which is adaptable tolit doors of. different thickness. Another object is to .provide meansin a door knob latch set for equalizing the protruding lengthv of theknob spindles. on thetwosides of the door irrespective of thethickness of the-door.

These and other objectsare attained byv my invention which will be understoodfromthe following description,.reference being-madeV to theaccompanying drawings in which: l p

Figure 1 isa top planY view, partly in section, show-ing apreferred form of my invention;

Figure 2fis-across-sectional View taken on the line2-2 of Figurel;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on-the linef3-3 of Figure 1-;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectionalviewtaken on the line 4-4`of Figure -1;

Figure 5-is. a cross-sectional view takenv on-the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 isa cross-sectional view` taken on the line `6 6 of- Figure2;

Figure '7 is an enlarged cross-sectional. view showing the rotatably 'attached end of theequalizingscrews;

Figure 8 is aperspective view. showingthe knob andzspindle assembly;

Figurefg. is aperspective-view show-ing a. half portion of the retractor housing; and

FigurelO isaperspective View showingthe oppositeihalf-retractorA housing.-

The preferred for-m. of my invention. shown in the.. dra-wings consists of a die-cast. cylindrical body I.I made in. right and left half portions I3 and.. I2 which are adapted to be fastened together by. the. assembly. screws I4 whose. heads. are countersunkl in the countersunk holes I5 of the right half portion I v3 andfwhichare .threaded into the threaded assembly holes Ilintheleft'half' portionlztofor-m thecylindricalbody I.I. The cylindrical body half. portions. I2 and. I3. areeach provided with abearing hub IA-'I in which the. knob spindles I 8. are mountedrfor. turning. The hubs areleachprovided-with..a.retaining. key slot I 9.adjacentabosslll` at the. end of. the respectivecylindrical. half; portions, I2. and. I'3,. each.. of: which is.. arranged to. holdv a hair pin. spring 2I which. is attached; to the body. portion. in. a

cylindrical bodyl Il I* is arranged with guide ridges for the longitudinal' movement of a retractor 26v having a thrustplat'epartition 2l. The generallyrectangular shaped retractoris'mounted; to

y lingers 32protruding`sli'ghtly through theperiphradial. groove. 22,` bya. headed screw. 23'. in. p

a threaded Hole 24. The hollow'i'nterior of the eral wind`ow'33`in the wall'of'the cylindrical body II.

The fingers 32' are adapte'djto'. engage'the latch bar under the lugs. lflinv the end ofl the latch bar 35, so that' the latch bolt maybe depressed with out actuation. of`- the retract'or orA knobs; The latch bar 35" extends from the latch bolt 35F which is? arranged to slide within the cylindrical latch bolt; casing 31 which is mounted in a bored hole in the edge` of' the door Dj by mounting screws (not shown in the end plate' 381 Thek opposite end of the. casing 3l is attached by the'lugs 39 which extend from the endclosure plate 302 The lugs 3.9 are arranged to slide'under the' margins 4I of theV peripheral window 33 in thecylindri'c'al body II, with theend walls"42` of the' latch bolt casing 3'!` abutting the outside face of the margins 4I. This arrangement permits` adjusting the position of thelatch bolt'casing longitudinally of the cylindrical bodyv II- which adjustment is desirable.v and' necessary when the holes drilled in the door in which the set is to be installed are not' symmetrically located or not accurately aligned". Thisadjustability also permits the centering. of the' latch bolt in the edge of the door regardless of its thickness and irrespective of the longitudinal positioning of the' body EIV in its mounting 'hole in th'edoor;

The retractor' 26 is actuated by rollbacks 44 arranged on the inner ends of the spindles I8. A

rollback. is formedv by cutting away about onehalf off the peripheryof. the tubular spindle at the freev or'inner end ofthe spindle, for a short distance back from the end ofi the spindle, the longitudinal'. edges of'theremainin'g half cylinder pressing upon the thrust plate partition 2l alternately depending upon they direction of rotation of.' the knobs 45. Each tubular spindle I8 is provided with a peripheral key slbt4" extending, forA example,.,onehalthe circumference of the spindle, which key' slot'is adaptedt'be engaged amate by the retainer keys 4'I which t in the retainer key slots I9 and are normally held in the slot by the hair pin springs 2| in the holes 49 through the keys. The slots are made long enough to permit the desired turning of the knobs to effect retraction of the latch bolt. The spindle I8 is attached in any suitable manner to the knob 45, which is preferably provided with a finish hub 48 which telescopes over the spindle for a portion of its length adjacent the knob.

The cylindrical body II is adapted to be mounted in the door in a drilled hole through the door connecting with the smaller hole bored at right angles thereto from the edge of the door for the latch bolt casing. The cylindrical body II is held in place within the hole in the door by an attached clamping plate 50 on one side of the hole and a loose clamping plate 5I on the opposite side, the clamping plates being larger than the hole so that they engage the margins. The attached clamping plate 5i! is movable relative to the end of the cylindrical body by means of long headed screws 54 which are rotatably attached in the holes 55 in the plate 50 by means of a washer 56 over which the end 53 of the screw 54 is riveted. The screws 54 are engaged in the threaded holes 51 in the left half portion I2 of the cylindrical body I I, extension bosses 58 being provided on the end of the cylindrical body. The

unthreaded portion of the long headed screws 54 is adapted to turn freely in the holes 59 in the right handshalf portion of the cylindrical body, the end of the screws being slotted so that they may be turned from the right hand side of the set. A shoulder 60 under the head limits the outward movement thereof, corresponding to the maximum extension of the clamping plate 50 from the cylindrical body I I.

The other clamping plate 5I is removably attached to the right hand half portion I3 by means of screws 62 in the threaded holes 63 in the end of the right portion of the cylindrical body I3, the heads or" the screws 62 holding the clamping plate 5I against the wood of the door bordering the hole in which the cylindrical body is mounted.

Rosettes 65 having turned rims 66 which are arranged te frictionally engage the outer edges of the clamping plates 5I] and 5I are provided, these rosettes being also provided with sleeves 61 which telescope over the hubs 48 of the knobs 45, completely covering the spindles regardless of the extent of protrusion from the door faces.

The spindles and attached knobs on both sides of the door are releasable from the respective sides of the door by first releasing the frictionally held rosette and further telescoping its sleeve over the hub of the knob to gain access to the retainer key 41 through the window 52 of the clamping plate. By means of a screw driver or similar tool, the retainer key II'I is raised, which releases it from the peripheral key slot 4B in the spindle I8 so that the knob and spindle may be withdrawn from the bearing hub I'I.

The means for clamping the cylindrical body to the door at the margins of the clamping plates so that their positioning may be adjusted from one side in order to equalize the protrusion of the knobs may be utilized on doorknob sets having other latch retraoting means and/or locking means.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent. At the time of installation, knob latch sets must be readily adjustable for use on doors of different thicknesses and it is desirable to have the knobs extend on their spindles for equal distances from the door on the two sides. By means of the adjustment of the position of the attached clamping plate 50, the cylindrical body may be centered in the mounting hole in the door. When the removable clamping plate 5I is then attached on the opposite side by the screws 62, the spindles and knobs extend for equal distances from the door faces. The retractor is independently operated by the rollbacks on both spindles so that only one knob is turned in retracting the latch bolt. The bolt is free to be depressed without actuating the retractor or knob mechanism. The knob and attached spindles may be removed from either side of the door independently of the knob and spindle on the opposite side and if desired, one knob may be left off entirely and a plate rosette may be used to cover the unused spindle opening. By making the cylindrical body by diecasting to accurate mold dimensions, the assembly is rigid, and the knobs are accurately aligned in the long bearing hubs so that even after long use, the knobs and spindle do not wobble. In the preferred construction shown, no mounting screws for either the knobs or for the body are visible from the sides of the doors, thus providing a neat appearance, avoiding the showing of screw heads, and preventing unwarranted tampering with the knob set.

Iclaim:

l. In a door knob latch set having a cylindrical body adapted to be mounted in a bored hole in a door, with bearing sleeves, spindles and attached knobs extending from opposite ends of said body; means to clamp said body to a door in which it is mounted comprising a pair of clamping plates, each having an axial hole and being adapted for sliding longitudinally on said bearing sleeves, said plates being larger than said body and one of said plates being permanently attached to one end of said body but adjustably spaced away axially from said body by means accessible only from the opposite end of said body; and means for attaching said other clamping plate to the opposite end of said body.

2. In a door knob latch set having a cylindrical body adapted to be mounted in a bored hole in a door, with spindles and attached knobs extending from opposite sides thereof; means to clamp said body to a door in which it is mounted comprising a pair of clamping plates each having an axial hole for a spindle, said plates being larger than said body, one of said plates being perm-anently attached but adjustably spaced away from said body; and means for attaching and spacing said attached clamping plate consisting of spacing screws mounted in threaded holes in said body, the headed ends of said screws being accessible from the end of said body opposite said attached clamping plate, the other ends of said screws being rotatably held in said attached clamping plate; the other clamping plate being held in clamping relation with said first clamping plate by screws in threaded holes in the end of said body.

3.' In a door knob latch set having a cylindrical body adapted to be mounted in a bored hole in a door, with bearing sleeves, spindles and attached knobs extending from opposite ends of said body; means to clamp said body to a door in which it is mounted comprising a pair of clamping plates, each having an axial hole and being adapted for sliding longitudinally on said bearing sleeves, said plates being larger thanv said body and one of said plates being permanently attached to one end of said body but adjustably spaced away axially from said body by attaching screws swivel-attached at one end to said plate, said screws being threadedly engaged in threaded holes in said body, the unattached ends of said 5 screws being accessible only from the end of said body opposite said attached plate; and screw means for attaching lsaid other clamping plate to the opposite end of said body.

ROBERT C. CERF, JR.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 812,904 Voight Feb. 20,V 1906 1,229,318 Collins et a1 June 12, 1917 1,876,079 -Sohlage Sept. 6, 1932 1,958,363 Gold May 8, 1934 2,002,542 McKinney' May 28, 1935 2,076,125 Grimsrud Apr. 6, 1937 

